Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus.



W. L. HARRIS. AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS;

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. I916.

Patent-ed July 24, 1917.

,2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. L. HARRIS.

A'HC FIRE EXTlNGUISHING APPARATUS.

AUTOM I APPLICAHON FILED NOV 22.1916. 1,234A69.

Patented July 24, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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are rarnr current WILLIAM L. HARRIS, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ANDREW HAGAN, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 19117.

Application filed November 22, 1916. Serial No. 132,859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in anautomatic fire extinguishing apparatus, and is especially adapted to beused in connection with dry cleaning plants employing rotary drycleaning machines such as washing machines, and centrifugal extractors,the object being to provide an apparatus in which a sprinkling system isemployed controlled by a destructible releasing device whereby the fireextinguishing apparatus will be automatically set in operation in orderto extinguish the fire in the dry cleaning plant by sprinkling themachine with an extinguishing fluid.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fire extinguishingapparatus which can be readily installed in any well known makes of drycleaning apparatus now in use, and one in which steam or a chemicalfluid can be employed as an extinguishing medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fire extinguishingapparatus in which the fluid supply pipe is provided with a valvenormally held in closed position and adapted to be actuated by thereleasing of an actuating rod which is normally held in set position andis released by a releasing device employing an inflammable material forreleasing a pivoted latch in order to allow the actuating rod to openthe valve in order to supply fluid to the machine, additional meansbeing provided for closing an electrical circuit for indicating thelocation of the fire or sounding an alarm.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a releasing devicefor the extinguishing apparatus which is exceedingly simple and cheap inconstruction and one in which a pivoted latch is normally held over acatch by a member arranged in the path of said latch, said memberresting on an inflammable material which when consumed allows the latchto move ofl of the catch in order to release the actuating rod so as toactuate the valve.

Another and still fiirther object of my invention is to provide a fireextinguishing apparatus which is capable of being used in connectionwith various forms of machines, the releasing device being mountedWithin a box or frame protected by a foramr nated cover in order toprevent the pivoted latch from being accidentally disengaged from thecatch.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

lVith these objects in view,

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly broken away illustrating theapplication of my in vention to a dry washing machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan illustrating the application of my invention to acentrifugal extractor.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the extractor showing the position of theextinguisher.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the releasing device showing its connectionwith the extinguishing fluid controlling valve.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the releasing device with the foraminatedcover in open position showing the pivoted latch held in position overthe catch by the inflammable material.

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the pivoted latch showing the inflammablematerial removed.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the releasing device.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of an arm carried by the valve actuating lever.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the finger carried by the spring actuatingrod.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of an inflammable covering for the releasingdevice, and

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the pressure tank.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawing.

In constructing the releasing device in accordance with my invention, Iemploy a rectangular frame or box 1 preferably formed of sheet metalhaving a centrally disposed supporting plate 2 on which is pivotallymounted a lever 8 which has connected to one end thereof a pivoted latchl adapted to engage a catch 5 carried by a cen trally disposed plate 2,said latch being connected to the frame 1 by a coil spring 6 whichnormally has a tendency to hold the latch out of engagement with thecatch as will be hereinafter fully described. The pivoted latch 41: isprovided with a lateral apertured extension 7 guideway 8 in which isadapted to be arranged an inflammable strip 9 preferably formed ofcelluloid which is preferably provided with an opening adapted toregister with the opening of the extension 7, but of a small diameter,and over which ismounted a retaining member 10 secured within a block11, carried by the frame 1 by a set screw 12, as clearly shown indottedlines in Fig. 6, whereby the pivotedlatch a will be normally held inposition over-the catch 5. When the inflammable material is consumed,the-retaining member 10 "is free-to pass through the aperture of theextension 7 so as to release the, pivoted latch and the spring 6- willdraw the latch olf' of the catch 5 so as to oscillate the lever3.

Pivotally connected to the opposite-end of the lever 3 is anactuating'rod-13 which extends through an openmgformed in the frame 1andthrouglra fixed element l iof' the cleaning apparatus to which thedevice is applied, andis provided'wvith an adjustable fin-ger 15' at-itsend provided witha collar carrying-a set screw for holding-the same inadjusted position on the actuating-- rod. Disposed between the fixedelement 141- andan adjustablesleeve-16, mounted ion the actuating rod13, is a coil spring 17 normally compressed when the device is in theposition as shown in Figs. 5and 6- so that when the inflammable materialburns so as to release the pivoted latch, the actuating rod 13 1 ismoved longitudinally by the action of the spring, whereby aspringactuated valve rod isprovided as will be hereinafter fully described The finger 15 carried by the spring actuated rod 13' is slidablymounted within a slotted arm 18 carried by avalve lever 19 pivotallymounted on a bracket 20 extending from a valve casing 21or a fluidsupply valve lever so that a bell, can be rung or an indicator actuatedwhen the valveisopened. In order to provlde means for protecting thereleasing device, I provide-the frame 1' with apivoted frame 24*liavingaforaminated covering 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 5;

provided with a.

pressure tank 28 as shownin-Fig. 12, which is adapted to be used whenachemical fluid 1s employed as an extingaushlng element.

The particular construction of fluid tankcan be varied although asshown, the pressure line is connected to the tank by a check valve andextends downwardly into the tank in order to agitate theliquid withinthe tank, said tank having an outlet pipe at the bottom thereof.

Arranged on the supply pipe- 27 is-'-'th'evalve casing 21- whieh" isconnected I to the releasing devicei-nthe manner above-described, saidpipe extending into the--washing mach-ineand is provided with per-forated b'ranches- 29 which can be arranged at any desired point so as-tospraythefluidi horizontally. towardthe center: of the ma chine, some ofi said branchesbeingarranged to. spray down into the-machine and-towardthe top of the opening. I depotwish to limit myself-I to the manner ofarranging these pipes-with in the machine as the main object'ofmyinvention is to provide an-automaticfire extinguisher in' wh ich thesupply In the application of my improved fire extinguisher -as shown inFigs. 3 and l, 30

indicates the supply pipe which is provided with circular branches 30and 31, the branch 30 being disposed within the top of the outside drumhaving openings for-sprayingthe fluid I withinthedrum and: the otherbna-nch 31 is arranged *to=-spray down over theoutside-of the machinetoward thecenter at an angle about thirtydegreeathe releasing devicebeing, arranged and conu ected to: 1,1, the valve casing-"21as--clearly-show n, and when fire occurs in the extractonhaving anextinguishing apparatusas herein shownand described, thevalve will beinstantaneously opened in orderto all'ow the extinguishing fluid to besprayed i11to:and ove1 the machine The operatlon'of the fireextinguishing apparatus as hereinshown; 1s as-follows 2 When toward theside of the casing or frame by the .spring 6 so as to draw it out of thepath of the catch which releases the spring actuated rod 13 and by theaction of the spring, the same is reciprocatedso as to oscillate thevalve lever which opensthe valve so as to allow the extinguishing fluidto pass through the supply pipe and to the branches or spraying nozzlesand at the same time the circuit is closed so as to indicate thelocation ofthe fire or to sound an alarm.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided afire extinguishing apparatus in which a supply pipe is arranged andconnected with a series of perforated branches disposed within and abovethe cleaning machine, said supply pipe having a valve connected with areleasing device which actuates the valve when a fire occurs so as toallow the extinguishing fluid to pass through the supply pipe to the machine. .1

I claim:

1. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolled supply pipe, of a spring actuated rod having a con nectionwith said valve, a pivoted lever connected to said rod, a latch carriedby said lever, a spring for moving said latch in one direction, aretaining member, and destructible means carried by said latch arrangedto engage said retaining member.

2. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolled fluid supply pipe, of a spring actuating rod for said valve,a pivoted latch for holding said rod in operative position, destructiblemeans carried by said latch, and a retaining member arranged in the pathof travel of the destructible means of said latch.

3. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolled fluid supply pipe, of a lever for actuating said valve, aspring actuated rod having a sliding connection with said lever, andpivoted means including a destructible member for holding said actuatingrod in set position.

4-. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolled supply pipe, of a spring actuated rod having a connectionwith said valve, a lever connected to said rod, a spring actuated latchconnected to said lever, destructible means carried by said latch, and aretaining member arranged in the path of said destructible means.

5. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolled fluid supply pipe, of a lever connected to said valve, aspring actuated rod having a sliding connection with said lever, aframe, a lever mounted in said frame having a connection with saidactuating rod, a pivoted latch carried by the free end of said lastmentioned lever, a catch adapted to be en- 'tion,

gaged by said latch, destructible means carried by said latch, and aretaining member arranged within the frame and adapted to engage saiddestructible means.

6. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolled fluid supply pipe, of a spring actuated rod having aconnection with said valve, a frame, a lever mounted in said framehaving a connection with said actuated rod, a catch ar ranged withinsaid frame, a pivoted latch carried by said lever cooperating with saidcatch, a spring for moving said latch off of said catch, a destructiblemember carried by said latch, and a retaining member arranged within theframe engaging said destructible member.

7 In a tire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolling lever, of a slotted arm carried by said lever, a springactuated rod, a finger carried by said rod extending into the slottedarm, a pivoted latch for holding said rod in set posiand a destructiblemember carried by said latch cooperating with retaining means.

8. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valvecontrolling lever, of an actuating rod having a connection with saidlever, a spring for forcing said lever in one direction, a second levercarried by the end of said rod, a catch, a latch carried by said secondlever cooperating with said catch for holding said rod in set position,a spring for drawing said latch ofi of said catch, a destructible membercarried by said latch, and a retaining member arganged in the path ofsaid destructible mem- 9. A fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising avalve controlled fluid pipe having spray nozzles, and a releasing devicecomprising an actuating rod having a connection with said valve, saidreleasing device having a pivoted latch for holding said actuating rodin set position, and destructible means for holding said latch.

10. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a valveactuating rod, a lever connected to said rod, a catch, a spring actuatedlatch carried by said lever cooperating with said catch, a destructiblemember carried by said latch, and a retaining member arranged in thepath of said destructi ble member.

11. In a fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a frame, ofa lever mounted within said frame, a valve actuating rod connected toone end of said lever, a catch, a pivoted latch connected to the otherend of said lever having a guideway, a destructible member arrangedwithin said guideway, a spring for moving said latch off of said catch,and an adjustable retaining member arranged to engage said destructiblemember.

